Patent Application
20090015417
Some network nodes, such as Optical Network Terminals (ONTs), are equipped with batteries or battery backup units to support continued service in an event of a primary power interruption. As well known, batteries have limited service and shelf life, so when batteries expire, customers are urged to perform maintenance by returning, recycling or disposing of them and installing a new battery or battery backup unit. The manufacturer(s) of the network device, battery or battery backup unit are generally not burdened with maintenance after field deployment, but the maintenance impacts the customer, such as a service provider and, of course, the end users (e.g., subscribers) of the customers. Moreover, as network nodes are upgraded and replaced in the field, new network nodes may not support specific batteries previously deployed from different manufacturers.
An embodiment of the present invention is a method and corresponding apparatus for monitoring a battery backup unit. Memory stores baseline information about the battery backup unit at a network node other than a network node configured to receive backup power from the battery backup unit. This baseline information at the network node at which it is stored is subsequently updated with state or event information relating to the battery backup unit.
A further embodiment of the present invention generates revenue through the sale of information relating to a network device. State information of a network node is stored, including at least some state information that is accessible only through direct automated access to the network node. A fee is the collected for the state information.
The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.
A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.
It would be useful for manufacturers of network nodes and battery backup units (BBUs) to consider scenarios that can improve the products such that manufacturers, customers and end users can easily manage them. Benefits may include, for example, battery lifetime expectancy, report keeping, or diagnostic tools that allow technicians to store data within the network device that are related to BBU batteries, such as installation date, battery type, etc. Further, it would be useful to have a utility that logs and notifies service providers and subscribers, if needed, of potentially hazardous conditions existing at a BBU or a BBU battery.
The example network 100 of
ONTs 120 may be equipped with batteries or BBUs 125, interchangeably referred to herein as BBUs 125. In an event an ONT 120 equipped with a BBU 125 experiences an interruption in primary power (e.g., local AC power 122), the ONT 120 may enable the BBU 125 or otherwise accept receipt of power from the BBU 125 to maintain services until the primary power source 122 is restored or the BBU 125 is drained of stored energy.
A memory, such as a database 116 maintained on the OLT 115, may store information 127 about the BBU 125 (“BBU information” 127). The BBU information 127 in the database 116 may be accessible by the OLT 115 and BBU 125, as well as other network elements of the PON 117, such as the EMS 120.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a method for monitoring a BBU, and a corresponding apparatus an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, stores baseline information about the BBU at a network node other than a network node configured to receive backup power from the BBU. The baseline information may be updated at the network node at which it is stored with state or event information relating to the BBU.
The baseline information may be stored at a time of installation of the BBU. The baseline information may be stored at a time after a time of installation of the BBU, wherein the baseline information further may be accepted by a manufacturer of or a service provider employing the BBU. The baseline information may be stored automatically, or may be manually entered.
The baseline information may be stored locally at an ONT or the BBU. It also may be transmitted to an OLT or a management system associated with the OLT. The baseline information may be transmitted via at least one optical communications path. The baseline information may be retrieved from a source, which may be an OLT or a management system associated with the OLT.
The state information used to update the baseline information includes temperature, voltage, current, availability, usage or age. Moreover, the event information used to update the baseline information includes alarm information, duration of alarms or frequency of alarms.
Information regarding the BBU may be fed back to a manufacturer of or a service provider or third party employing the BBU. A fee may be collected for the information. The information may be correlated with BBU information, including at least one of manufacturer, specifications, age and ONT/BBU combinations. An interested party may be informed of the correlation. Further, a BBU may be recommended to an interested party.
An interested party also may be informed of BBU compatibility, recall status, specifications, enhanced feature products, ordering information and performance history, optionally including alarms on an annual basis. Further, an interested party may be notified of a status for replacement of a battery or cell within the BBU.
The information may be forwarded to a regulatory body.
Revenue may be generated through sale of information relating to a network node by storing state information related to a network node including at least some state information accessible only through direct automated access to the network node and collecting a fee for the information. The state information may include information about a BBU.
The fee may be collected on a subscription service fee basis, or may be collected on a per-subnetwork basis, a per-BBU basis, a per-BBU manufacturer basis, or a per-BBU model number basis. The fee may be collected from a manufacturer of a battery configured to provide backup power to the network node, or from a service provider employing the BBU.
Alternatively, the BBU 335 may, itself, provide the example information directly to the ONT 330 as described below, also in reference to
An ONT 330 may also perform periodic, on-demand, or event-driven battery data storage. On-demand information may come from the OLT 315, or from a user 352 communicating locally with the ONT 320 via a craft port 350 or technician interface 352. Storage may also be triggered autonomously by the ONT 330 during specific conditions, such as major ONT alarm conditions, ONT hardware failure conditions, ONT-E-STOP-ON conditions, or any other operations defined in the International Telecommunications Union (ITC) Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Recommendation G.982.x and G.984.x.
Further, the ONT 330 may be configured to accept only specific batteries 338 from specific manufacturers. This configuration may be stored in software, firmware, or hardware. When a technician 352 or user goes into the field, such as to a user's home, to change the battery 338 or perform another maintenance related task, the technician 352 or user may log the update via the ONT's 330 craft port 350 or technician interface 352. Similarly, information may come from specific requests from the OLT 315 either ahead of time or from an on-site technician's handheld wireless provisioning device that is able to communicate with the OLT 315 to generate the appropriate provisioning information. During installation of a battery 338, if a technician 352 or subscriber enters invalid information regarding the battery 338, the ONT 330 may reject the data or, alternatively, generate an alarm or a specific visual indication to the service provider or technician 352 (or end user) to indicate that an invalid battery 338 has been installed. Further, the ONT may have a password associated with the battery that is sent from the EMS and configured via OMCI so that the ONT has either a specific password for a battery's serial number, model number or other identifier such that validation does not occur and a similar alarm or indication is provided.
In another example embodiment of the present invention, the ONT 330 communicates directly with the BBU 325 to collect information, such as static manufacturing data from an EPROM or similar memory 331, or other information, over a specialized data communications channel or protocol, such as an Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus that provides real-time data. The ONT 330 may then take this real-time data and store it in the memory 332, as described above. This example embodiment may be implemented in addition to the technician-directed interface described above, or instead of it.
The OLT 315 and an EMS 320 may query (e.g., periodically) the battery log information from all ONTs 330 deployed in the field, and generate useful management reports therefrom. Information may be made available to an EMS 320 at any time, and may include any other status or performance monitoring data collected on the ONT 330. This data may be stored in a memory 332 within the ONT 330, such as non-volatile flash memory, so that it may be maintained across reboots and for long periods of time, in most cases for the lifetime of the battery 338, itself. For example, in cases where an ONT 330 is having field problems and the service provider returns the ONT 330 to its manufacturer, the stored information may be useful in diagnosing specific problems that may be due to battery 338 issues in the field. Collecting alarm data and associating it with specific battery characteristic will allow the service provider to understand the general behavior of the battery alarms when they are declared on a day-to-day basis and will further help the service provider to troubleshoot real-time problems in the field that may be associated with a given alarm/battery combination.
In a further example embodiment of the present invention, an OLT 315 may generate system-wide ONT 330 battery information reports that allow a service provider to notify subscribers to replace batteries 338 at a certain time before the expiration of the batteries 328. The OLT 315 or EMS 320 may periodically (or on an on-demand or event-driver basis) query the stored battery reports for each ONT 330 and, based on that information, generate reports that allow a service provider to notify its subscribers to replace batteries 328. Alternatively, the service provider may send a technician 352 to replace the batteries 338. The service provider may generate automated notifications to subscribers, such as emails, voice mails, written notification, or similar notifications, to let them know prior to and, certainly after, battery 328 expiration, that they need to replace the battery 338 in the BBU 335 of their ONT 330 as soon as possible.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, the BBU 335 may command the ONT 330 to provide limited or no services when the BBU 335 detects, at least, an invalid or expired battery 338. Similarly, the BBU 335 may direct the ONT 330 to enter a limited-service mode (e.g., emergency dial-out service, such as 9-1-1) when an invalid battery 338, or even no battery 338, is installed in the ONT 330. Further, the ONT 330 may have an option to provide full service but not utilize backup power supplied by an invalid battery 338 in a BBU 335 or may allow limited services when an invalid battery 338 is installed.
The ONT 330 may also be configured with a specific database of batteries 338 and associated expiration dates, a specific battery expiration date, or a generic battery life expectancy (e.g., 5 years) after battery installation in the BBU 335. Non-compliance with any of these conditions may trigger the ONT 330 to provide only limited, or no, subscriber service until the battery 338 is replaced. When such a situation occurs, alarms and reports may be logged in the memory 332, and reported as needed to the OLT 315, to ensure the right information is propagated in the network 300. The memory 332, such as non-volatile flash memory, may also provide invaluable information in cases where an invalid battery 338 causes an ONT 330 to fail.
For example, the ONT 330 may be aware that the expiration date of a battery 338 is January 1, three years from the year of installation. When the expiration date arrives, and the ONT 330 also detects that the battery 338 has not been replaced, the ONT 330 may be directed by the BBU 335 to enter a limited-service mode. Further, there may be various service levels based on the expiration date such that an initial notification or warning may be provided a certain time before the expiration date or a severe limitation or cancellation of services may be imposed at the passing of the expiration date. In one example mode, the ONT 320 may only provide lifeline plain old telephone service (POTS), such as 911 or e911 service, to the subscriber.
The expiration date of the battery 338 may be a safe amount of time before the battery 328 poses any serious threat or problems to the customer, and serves as a fail-safe mechanism that may minimize future problems, such as battery backup unit failure, faced by subscribers. This may also minimize possible litigation issues with the customer or hazardous/ecological problems at the point of installation.
Moreover, the information may be fed back 516 to a manufacturer of or service provider employing the BBU, as illustrated in the flow diagram 500k of
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Further embodiments may include a cellular telephone that reports battery data through its network, a laptop computer with a special application that communicates with a server to provide up-to-date information, or any other device that may use AC power as a primary power source with a battery as a secondary power source, such as a personal digital assistance (PDA), cable modem, set-top box or router. A traditional consumer-grade uninterruptible power supply (UPS) may have an integrated microprocessor that is capable of monitoring battery functions and an Internet connection via Ethernet, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi over which that information may be communicated. Moreover, a car may report battery related information via a service that communicates car data.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
